


Monsters At Rose Hall

by NervousAliceCurious



Series: All The Grateful Dead [1]
Category: Escape the Night (Web Series)
Genre: Blood, Gen, Ghosts, Important Telephone Calls, Missing Persons, Paranormal Investigating, Secret Cubbyholes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-16
Updated: 2019-01-15
Packaged: 2019-10-10 23:34:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17435609
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NervousAliceCurious/pseuds/NervousAliceCurious
Summary: When Matt and Safiya receive a distress call from their nearest and dearest friend, they immediately rush to the rescue! But can a mere detective, investigative reporter, jetsetter, and one precocious pug stand up against the sinister and supernatural forces of Ro's new home?





	1. Move-In Day

**Author's Note:**

  * For [canufeelthemagictonight](https://archiveofourown.org/users/canufeelthemagictonight/gifts).



> And here we are with the lovely MRS, for something completely different.

Rosanna had always been afraid of the dark.

 

Of the bloodthirsty creatures that lurked within it.

 

She was just a pure, innocent soul!

 

 

She didn’t know any better...

 

...

 

 

 

 

 

-Moving Day-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Oh, Cookie!

This place is adorable!”

 

A simple, freshly-painted structure with tasteful rose shutters, and a sprawling garden out back.

 

The previous owner had sent her an email expressing her thanks that it would be inhabited by such a thoughtful young woman, and that thanks to the maid who stopped by weekly, there were no alterations, or renovations that needed to be made.

 

She could just move right in with no trouble at all!

 

She’d heard that it had three stories and that it was a beauty to behold.

 

Seeing it for the first time, she’d agreed wholeheartedly.

 

“I can’t wait to tell Matt and Saf! 

 

They’re going to be so excited...”

 

Setting down her first box of the day, she sat back on her heels and grinned.

 

_I think I’m really going to like it here._

 

...

 

While she was unpacking, she’d had a chance to visit all three levels:

 

The ground floor was light and airy with a cozy living room, and the roomiest kitchen she’d ever had the privelage of owning.

 

The second floor held a small bathroom at the top of the stairs, an atrium with stained-glass windows, and a billiards’ room complete with a mint-condition pool table.

 

And the third floor...

 

There were bedrooms at the opposite ends of the hall.

 

One for her, obviously, and another one that she assumed belonged to the children of the previous owner.

 

The latter area was empty.

 

But the former was a sight to behold.

 

...

 

Spinning in awe at her own pink, plush paradise, the former Jetsetter marveled at how the tiny crystal chandelier threw little sparkles of light all over the walls.

 

Cookie, following her mother’s lead, kept jumping at the floral wallpaper, paws outstretched.

 

_This is amazing!_

_I can’t believe this room is really mine..._

_SC-C-CR-A-A-A-PEE-_

“Oh-Cookie!”

 

The little dog’s claws had torn away a section of the print.

 

Clucking softly, she hurried over to her well-meaning pug.

 

“Please be careful...”

 

She knelt down, and delicately lifted the errant strip off of Cookie’s razor-sharp nails.

 

“There! That’s better...”

 

...

 

After lunch, Rosanna went back up there to see what could be done for the tear.

 

As she was examining it, her fingers detected an almost-invisible seam in the exposed plaster.

_...Huh? What’s this?_

Curious, she ripped the paper a little more...

_I’m sorry, wall..._

A secret cubby was revealed.

 

Placing the thumb and forefinger of each hand into the nearly-invisible indentations, she pushed with all her strength!

 

_Scrrape!_

The panel slid over and off.

 

_Oooh..._

Resting in the shallow, wooden space was a leather-bound book.

 

Handling it gingerly, she withdrew it from the cubbyhole and released the latch holding it closed.

 

_Property of Alice Mueller, 1968_

_Do not peek!_

...

 

Rosanna whipped up a bowl of dollar-store tomato soup for dinner, and tried not to feel guilty for relying on pre-made.

 

Since most of her life savings had gone into this place, making gourmet from scratch would have to wait for a while.

 

_Just until my cooking show takes off._

_Hm, but what should I call it?_

_Geeky...Goodies?_

_..._

_No, that’s not quite ‘me’ enough-_

 

_RING!!_

_RING!!_

_RING!!_

 

“Oh-!!”

 

Hurriedly plopping down her big pot of steaming goodness, she raced to the telephone.

 

“Hello-“

 

_Hey Ro! It’s me, MatPat. How’s the move-in process going?_

Her heart flooded with warmth for her brother-from-another-mother.

 

“Matt!!! It’s so good to hear from you! I didn’t think you would be off from the Anderson case until next week”.

 

_Yeah, well, they caught the guy ahead of time._

 

He coughed.

 

_Annnywho, it’s actually looking like I’ll be off for some time...which is good because I just found out Steph’s pregnant._

“WHAAAT!?”

 

She was practically screaming with glee!  


_Yup!_ Matt said proudly, _In nine months you’re gonna be an aunt!_

“Oh that’s so wonderful!! Tell her I’m _so_ happy for her”.

 

_Don’t worry, I will._

_Now, about the move-in-_

“I’ve got all the boxes out of my car, and in the house. The moving people will be coming by with the bigger stuff tomorrow”.

 

_Okay. I’ll be there to help bright and early tomorrow morning, if that’s alright with you._

“Of course it is, Matt! You don’t even need to ask! There is _no_ way I’m going to be able to carry in all of that stuff by myself”.

 

_Great! See you later, Ro._

“See you later, Matt!”

 

_Click!_

...

 

That night, she settled herself into the fuchsia sheets, tucked her newfound book under her pillow, and drifted into a dreamless sleep.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The sheets rustled as something climbed into bed with her.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paralyzed with fear, she lay there on the right side of the bed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unmoving.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At some point it became morning again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The leather-bound book was open, and resting on the unclaimed half of her pillow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

_Friends?_

 

 

 

 

 

 

Was written in red ink.

 

 

 

 

...

 

 

Yes, Rosanna was afraid of the dark.

 

Of the strange, and unfathomable creatures that inhabited it.

 

She didn't know what had happened here at all.

 

 

She'd just moved in, like all the rest.


	2. The Visitor (Pt. 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matt's not doing too well right now. Perhaps this new client will be able to shake him out of his slump...

_RIIIIINNNGGG!!!_

 

 

Matt jerked awake, face plastered against his desk.

 

“Hmwha-?”

 

He didn’t remember falling asleep...

 

**_Ro._ **

****

_Oh my gosh, what time is it-!?_

Practically knocking his chair over, the frazzled Detective booked it to the phone in short order!

 

He yanked it out of its crib, put it up to his ear, and-

 

_Huh?_

Nothing.

 

 

 

_RIIIIINNNGGG!!!_

 

 

_**Oh**._

...

 

Trying not to look like he’d just mistaken the doorbell for something else entirely, Matt swung open the door.

 

“Hey Safiya. What brings you here at...”

 

He surreptitiously checked his watch.

 

“2:33 in the morning?”

 

_Note to self: the next time you think you’ve just let down your best friend, at least **pretend** to look at your SuperStars **before** you go galumphing all over the place._

The stoic brunette whom he didn’t really know that well, but had been in the paper often raised an eyebrow.

 

“...I see my reputation precedes me yet again”.

 

“Well, you _are_ the Daily Globe’s star reporter...”

 

He retreated into the safety of his office so that she might actually get through the doorframe.

 

“It’s only natural that you would be recognized”.

 

Although she wore no discernible expression, he knew that the gears in her relentless mind were currently thoroughly digesting what he’d just said.

 

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.

However,”

 

She gestured to the place-of-honor on his coat where his PI badge had once rested.

 

“The same would be true for you as well, Mr. New York Police Consultant Hopeful”.

 

He winced.

 

“Touché”.

 

...

 

“Want any coffee?”

 

He nodded to the ~~broken~~ roaster.

 

“No thanks.

I prefer to work on a clear mind”.

 

_Ouch._

“You don’t drink coffee?

At all?”

 

“Only on my days off”.

...

 

They sat down, him in the Detective’s chair behind the desk, her in the rickety one reserved for his clients.

 

_Screek._

_**Man** , I’ve really got to fix that..._

“So”.

 

He crossed his arms, fully aware that his severed badge was laid out on the surface between them.

 

“What’s the sitch?”

 

Safiya unzipped her bag, and took out a camera.

 

“This belongs to a friend of mine,

Tyler Williams”.

 

She looked down at it for a second, a muscle twitching in her throat.

 

“He disappeared a month ago”.

 

“Have you gone to the local police?”

 

It was always the first thing he asked before taking on a case, backlash be darned.

 

He needed to know if what he was about to do would interfere in any way.

 

“No”.

 

She swallowed, and right then, he could’ve _sworn_ she was trying not to cry.

 

“...Can I ask why not?”

 

 

“They think he’s dead”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in one day! How did I do it!?
> 
> (HELP! I have a quiz tomorrow, and everything is complicated akljdalfghiarw;gu)

**Author's Note:**

> Aren't you glad you read this in the middle of the night? (:
> 
> -Title is subject to change-


End file.
